More US readers buying digital books

SAN FRANCISCO, USA: US readers are increasingly opting for digital books instead of ink-and-paper editions, according to a Pew Research Center study released at the end of December

The share of US adults reading electronic books rose to 23% in November from 16% for the same period last year, according to the Pew study.

Meanwhile, people aged 16 or older who are reading printed books fell from72% last year to just 67% this year.

Overall, 75% of US adults read books in one form or another, a slight slip from the 78% figure seen late in 2011, according to the Pew Internet and American Life Project.

The growing popularity of e-books was in step with the hot trend in tablet computers, whether they are dedicated reading devices such as the Kindles or Nook or multi-purpose Internet devices such as Apple iPads or Google'a Nexus.

The proportion of US adults with some kind of tablet jumped to 33% late this year, compared with 18% as 2011.

The findings indicated that the number of people borrowing e-books from US libraries also rose,

People with higher education and in higher income brackets were more likely to be e-book readers.

Source: AFP via I-Net Bridge